2019 Volkswagen Golf R, Golf R Special Edition pricing and specs

Upgraded equipment for core model, while new limited edition offers a noisier exhaust, bigger brakes – for a premium, of course.

Volkswagen Australia has announced pricing and specs for the 2019 GolfR, revealing it will also offer a limited-run GolfR Special Edition from November with a louder exhaust and a few choice performance upgrades.

The headline act in the Special Edition, of which just 400 units will be available locally, is a titanium exhaust from Akrapovic. Not only does it save 7kg compared to the standard Volkswagen unit, it promises to deliver a deeper engine note and more pronounced snaps, crackles and pops between gears.

There are also unique badges but don’t worry, you’ll still fly under the radar. The exhaust has been offered as part of a Performance Pack in Europe, but hasn’t made the journey to Australia until now. Our car is distinct from the Performance Pack, though, with Volkswagen confirming its spec is specific to our market.

Along with the noisier exhaust, the car gets larger (340mm) performance brakes with unique pads to shave another 2kg from the base car, and offer stronger performance on the track. They hide behind 19-inch gloss black Pretoria alloy wheels, which themselves are 4kg lighter than the regular units. Are you sensing a theme here?

Power still comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine making 213kW and 380Nm, put to all four wheels through a 4Motion all-wheel drive system and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Inside, it gets all the gear from the standard car, along with a Dynaudio 400W premium audio system. Oh, and Turmeric Yellow Metallic paint is available. It’ll be priced from $61,990 before on-road costs.

As previously reported, the manual option is dead for the 2019 Golf R, along with the entry-level Grid specification. That means the range kicks off at $56,490 before on-road costs, jumping to $58,490 for the wagon.

City-speed autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop/go, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are all standard fit on the safety front, along with a reversing camera and parking sensors.

Rounding out the equipment highlights are keyless entry with push-button start, a 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system and the Active Info Display are standard, along with tinted windows and electrically-folding mirrors. There are two options: a panoramic sunroof ($1900) and the Dynaudio audio system ($1000).